Buddhism

==Demographics==
{{See also|Buddhism by country}}
[[File:Countries by percentage Buddhist–Pew Research 2010.svg|thumb|300px|Percentage of Buddhists by country in 2010, according to the [[Pew Research Center]].]]
Buddhism is practised by an estimated 488 million,<ref name="Pew_2012a" /> 495 million,{{sfnp|Johnson|Grim|2013|pp=34–37}} or 535 million{{sfnp|Harvey |2013|p=5}} people as of the 2010s, representing 7% to 8% of the world's total population. [[China]] is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18% of its total population.<ref name="Pew_2012a" />{{Refn|group=note|This is a contested number. Official numbers from the Chinese government are lower, while other surveys are higher. According to Katharina Wenzel-Teuber, in non-government surveys, "49 percent of self-claimed non-believers [in China] held some religious beliefs, such as believing in soul reincarnation, heaven, hell, or supernatural forces. Thus the 'pure atheists' make up only about 15 percent of the sample [surveyed]."<ref>[http://www.china-zentrum.de/fileadmin/redaktion/RCTC_2012-3.29-54_Wenzel-Teuber_Statistical_Overview_2011.pdf People's Republic of China: Religions and Churches Statistical Overview 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184353/http://www.china-zentrum.de/fileadmin/redaktion/RCTC_2012-3.29-54_Wenzel-Teuber_Statistical_Overview_2011.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }}, Katharina Wenzel-Teuber (2011), China Zentrum, Germany</ref>}} They are mostly followers of [[Chinese Buddhism|Chinese schools]] of ''[[Mahayana]]'', making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions. Mahayana, also practised in broader [[Buddhism in East Asia|East Asia]], is followed by over half of world Buddhists.<ref name="Pew_2012a" />

Buddhism is the dominant religion in [[Buddhism in Thailand|Thailand]], [[Buddhism in Cambodia|Cambodia]], [[Buddhism in Tibet|Tibet]], [[Buddhism in Myanmar|Myanmar]], [[Buddhism in Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]], [[Buddhism in Bhutan|Bhutan]], [[Buddhism in Laos|Laos]], [[Buddhism in Mongolia|Mongolia]], [[Buddhism in Japan|Japan]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=ASIA SOCIETY: THE COLLECTION IN CONTEXT|url=https://www.asiasocietymuseum.org/region_results.asp?RegionID=6&CountryID=14&ChapterID=38|access-date=2021-03-31|website=www.asiasocietymuseum.org|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416092020/https://www.asiasocietymuseum.org/region_results.asp?RegionID=6&CountryID=14&ChapterID=38|url-status=live}}</ref> Hong Kong,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Planet|first=Lonely|title=Religion & Belief in Hong Kong, China|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/hong-kong/background/other-features/af97b38c-7398-4ff0-94a1-5fe469b38888/a/nar/af97b38c-7398-4ff0-94a1-5fe469b38888/355975|access-date=2021-03-31|website=Lonely Planet|language=en|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416083614/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/hong-kong/background/other-features/af97b38c-7398-4ff0-94a1-5fe469b38888/a/nar/af97b38c-7398-4ff0-94a1-5fe469b38888/355975|url-status=live}}</ref> Macau,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religion in Macau - Festivals and Places of Worship - Holidify|url=https://www.holidify.com/pages/religion-in-macau-4189.html|access-date=2021-03-31|website=www.holidify.com|archive-date=22 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922214423/https://www.holidify.com/pages/religion-in-macau-4189.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Buddhism in Singapore|Singapore]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kuah|first=Khun Eng|date=1991|title=State and Religion: Buddhism and NationalBuilding in Singapore|journal=Pacific Viewpoint|language=en|volume=32|issue=1|pages=24–42|doi=10.1111/apv.321002|issn=2638-4825|doi-access=free}}</ref> and [[Buddhism in Vietnam|Vietnam]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vietnam Buddhism|url=https://www.insidevietnamtravel.com/travel-guide/vietnam-buddhism.html|access-date=31 March 2021|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416094732/https://www.insidevietnamtravel.com/travel-guide/vietnam-buddhism.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Large Buddhist populations live in [[Chinese Buddhism|Mainland China]], [[Buddhism in Taiwan|Taiwan]], [[Buddhism in Korea|North Korea]], [[Buddhism in Nepal|Nepal]] and [[Buddhism in Korea|South Korea]].<ref name="The Pew Forum">{{cite web|title=Global Religious Landscape – Religious Composition by Country|url=http://features.pewforum.org/grl/population-percentage.php|access-date=28 July 2013|publisher=The Pew Forum|archive-date=1 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101080244/http://features.pewforum.org/grl/population-percentage.php}}</ref> The Indian state of [[Maharashtra]] account for 77% of all Buddhists in India.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moudgil |first1=Manu |title=Dalits Are Still Converting to Buddhism, but at a Dwindling Rate |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/dalits-converting-to-buddhism |access-date=10 November 2022 |work=TheQuint |date=17 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109053113/https://www.thequint.com/news/india/dalits-converting-to-buddhism |archive-date=9 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref> In Russia, Buddhists form majority in [[Tuva]] (52%) and [[Kalmykia]] (53%). [[Buryatia]] (20%) and [[Zabaykalsky Krai]] (15%) also have significant Buddhist populations.<ref>{{cite web |title=ФСО доложила о межконфессиональных отношениях в РФ |publisher=ZNAK |url=https://www.znak.com/2016-03-24/na_tyumenskom_severe_kazhdyy_desyatyy_gotov_vzyat_v_ruki_oruzhie |access-date=15 April 2017 |archive-date=16 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416051753/https://www.znak.com/2016-03-24/na_tyumenskom_severe_kazhdyy_desyatyy_gotov_vzyat_v_ruki_oruzhie |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Buddhism is also growing by conversion. In India, more than  85% of the total Buddhists have converted from Hinduism to Buddhism,<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/dalits-who-converted-to-buddhism-better-off-in-literacy-and-well-being/745230/|title=Dalits who converted to Buddhism better off in literacy and well-being: Survey|date=2 July 2017|access-date=10 November 2019|archive-date=3 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903210259/https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/dalits-who-converted-to-buddhism-better-off-in-literacy-and-well-being/745230/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="thequint.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/india/2017/06/17/dalits-converting-to-buddhism|title=Dalits Are Still Converting to Buddhism, but at a Dwindling Rate|date=17 June 2017|website=The Quint|access-date=31 July 2017|archive-date=29 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729095011/https://www.thequint.com/india/2017/06/17/dalits-converting-to-buddhism|url-status=live}}</ref> and they are called [[neo-Buddhist]]s or [[Ambedkarite]] Buddhists.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="thequint.com"/> In New Zealand, about 25–35% of the total Buddhists are converts to Buddhism.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Our-futures-submissionPaul-Morris.pdf |title=The 2013 Census and religion |website=royalsociety.org.nz |access-date=13 August 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228042454/https://royalsociety.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Our-futures-submissionPaul-Morris.pdf |archive-date=28 February 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Taonga|first=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|title=Buddhists|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/diverse-religions/page-3|access-date=2020-06-12|website=teara.govt.nz|archive-date=17 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017102131/https://teara.govt.nz/en/diverse-religions/page-3|url-status=live}}</ref> Buddhism has also spread to the [[Nordic countries]]; for example, the Burmese Buddhists founded in the city of [[Kuopio]] in [[North Savonia]] the first Buddhist monastery of [[Finland]], named the Buddha Dhamma Ramsi monastery.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=71,7596,0,0,1,0 |title=Buddhist Channel {{pipe}} Buddhism News, Headlines {{pipe}} World {{pipe}} Burmese Buddhist monastery opens in Finland |publisher=Buddhistchannel.tv |date=5 January 2009 |access-date=9 April 2021 |archive-date=28 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428140017/https://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=71,7596,0,0,1,0 |url-status=live }}</ref>